A premium cut of meat that never goes below 2 centimeters, tastier than the fillet because it is slightly fattier and has an unmistakable flavor: let's talk about rib eye and how to cook it in the perfect way.
Excellent on the grill, on the barbecue, but also on the griddle, the rib eye can be served rare, medium or well done, plain or with fragrant spices: in any case it manages to give us truly great satisfaction.
PREPARATION:
1. Before starting, let the meat rest
In the kitchen, haste is never a good adviser and even for the perfect rib steak, patience is a fundamental ingredient. To obtain balanced and homogeneous cooking, it is important that the meat, when it meets the hot plate, is at room temperature: the sudden transition from the fridge to the fire would in fact cause all the liquids to come out and would definitively ruin your rib steak. To be on the safe side, take the meat out of the fridge at least two hours before cooking it.
2. Dry it well
Among the great enemies of the perfect rib eye are liquids and humidity that prevent the meat from reaching the Maillard reaction. Before starting to cook it is therefore advisable not only to let the meat rest at room temperature, but also to pat it dry with a sheet of absorbent paper to be absolutely sure that there is no liquid left. Be careful never to rinse the rib eye under running water, not only does it not help to eliminate any bacteria but it risks condemning your rib eye to a cooking method that is more like boiling than grilling.
3. Seasoning yes or no ?
In this case, schools of thought are so different that we have seen even decades-long friendships end in front of a barbecue: should the rib steak be seasoned or not before touching the hot pan? If you are a purist, the answer is no: the rib steak has an intense flavor even without seasoning and only at the end of cooking we recommend adding salt, perhaps coarse. If, on the other hand, you like the aromas of herbs and spices and prefer quick cooking (so that the previously salted meat does not lose too many juices), massage your beautiful rib steak with salt, pepper and herbs and go on high heat.
4. The boiling plate and the Maillard reaction
The perfect rib eye, whether you like it or not, responds to a chemical law called the Maillard reaction: what is it? The caramelization of meat proteins and sugars naturally contained in foods. How does it happen? The external crust that makes your perfect rib eye forms only if the meat comes into contact with the plate at a temperature of 140 °C. Our advice? Get a kitchen thermometer and, as soon as the right degrees are reached, lay the meat down and enjoy the show.
5. Choose the right pan
The fact that you don't have a barbecue and a garden to invite your friends over for a barbecue shouldn't stop you from enjoying a perfect rib eye, but to do so you'll have to be careful about choosing the right pan. Even in this case, to obtain the now famous Maillard reaction, you'll need a pan that reaches and maintains a temperature of 140 °C: cast iron and iron are highly recommended, non-stick pans are better not to. To prevent the rib eye from sticking to the pan, you can lightly grease it with extra virgin olive oil, or choose a marinade, depending on your tastes.
6. No fork, for goodness sake
A bad habit is to turn the rib eye over and over again with a fork: it may be convenient, but by pricking the meat you will end up piercing it and therefore letting out the liquids and juices that keep it tender. During cooking, to check and turn the rib eye, use a pair of tongs and you will not run any risks.
7. Cooking times and degrees
Probably the most difficult part, the one you should never get wrong: well done, medium or rare? At what degrees and for how long should you cook a rib eye to have it perfect? In this case the answer is inside you and it is called taste: yet you need to follow some small and simple rules.
If you prefer a well-done rib eye, then you will have to cook it for 5 minutes per side and obtain a complete caramelization on the entire surface; for a medium cooking the minutes drop to 4 while if you are passionate about "rare" meat your rib eye should not touch the griddle for more than 2 minutes. Chapter extreme carnivores: for you we have the blue cooking, the stage preceding the rare cooking, in this case 60 seconds per side and off with the knife and fork, at least use those.
ENJOY YOUR MEAL!
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